needham



BEIGE.

E. P. NEEDHAM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

REED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specication of Letters Patent No. 23,601, dated April 12, 1859.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, E. P. NEEDHAM, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Imrovements in Harmoniums and other Reed llusical Instruments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this speciication, in which- Figure l, is a transverse vertical section of the actions and key board of a harmonium with my improvements. Fig. 2, is a front view of a portion ot' the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both igures.

This invention consists in applying and arranging two or more actions one above another above the key board of the instrument, in such a manner that either may be uncovered and exposed for repair or any other purpose by the removal of those above it.

It also consists in a certain, simple and eii'ective arrangement of wind passages in combination with the so-arranged series of actions.

It also consists in a novel mode of applying a sound board in combination with such arrangement of passages. And it further consists in combining the valves of the whole series of so-arranged actions with the same set of keys by means of pins or other direct connections from one series to another.

To enable others to make and use my in vention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, A1, A2, A3, are the reed boards, and a, al, co2, a3, the reed tubes cut in the said boards.

B, B1, B2, B3, are the valves which are represented as opening upward but which may be applied in such manner as to open downward. Each reed board with its reeds and valves constitute what I have hereinbefore termed an action. The lowest reed board A, is made with a ilanch b, b, along the upper part of its front and ends, and every other reed board of the series has a similar anch and a flanch c, c, all along the bottom of its front and ends for the purpose of enabling the whole series of actions which may consist of any number, to be secured together one above another by means of screws d, cl, as represented in the drawing, but the Hanches are omitted along the back to form openings c, e, for the passage of the air from the several series of valves into a vertical passage f, leading down behind the actions to the bellows. The top action represented is for the tremolo, and therefore there is no direct communica tion from its valves B, to the upright passage f, but the said valves are shut in by a cover C, and the only means of communication from the said valves to the passage f, is through one or more tremolo valves m, fitted to the said cover C.

The actions arranged one above anotherV and secured together as described are arranged above the keys in a part of the case which is extended upward above the key board, the keys D employed in combination with such action being extended rearward beyond their fulcrum pins L, 7L.' The upright passage f, leading to the receiving chamber of a bellows arranged below the key board, extends the whole length of the instrument, and its back g, may be made of a board light enough to constitute a sounding board. The said board g, is connected with a horizontal board 7c, arranged above the cover C, and forming a passage Z, above the said cover communicating with the passage f. The whole of the actions and passages are to be covered by a casing.

The keys act upon their respective'valves in the whole series of actions simultaneously, by means of a series of push up pins 1, 2,

the first pin, a, being placed between the top of its respective key and the valve of the lowest action, the next 1, being placed between the valve of the lowest action and the corresponding valve of the action next above, the next 2, placed between the valve of the latter action and corresponding valve of the action above, and so on to the top of the series whatever be the number Vof ac,g tions, and all the pins being raised together to open the valves whenever the rear end of the key is raised by the depression of the front end. The direction of the wind when the valves are opened is indicated by arrows in Fig. l.

By arranging the actions one above another over the keys, and securing them together, I obtain ample room within a moderate height for as many actions as can be desired and am enabled to use the simplest possible system of connections between the keys and the valves and the simplest possible system of passages between the valves and the bellows; and what is perhaps a still greater advantage, I am enabled after removing the whole or a portion of the casing which covers the actions and the top board 7c, and back board Z, to take the necessary screws el, CZ, and remove one, two or more of the actions at a time to examine or repair the valves of the action below or to remove the whole and take them apart one by one with much less difliculty than attends the taking out of the actions or valves in the harmoniums heretofore constructed.

Instead of using a system of push up pins like that described, the valves B, B1, B2, may have their extremities project into the passage f, to be received into notches or upon projections in or on an upright rod arranged within the said passage This rod forming a direct connection between the key and the several valves is the equivalent of the system of pins represented in the drawing.

The sound board or back board g, may be made movable for convenience of getting at the valves, in many cases in which the taking apart of the reed boards can be avoided.

I do not claim the arrangement of one or more sets of reeds above the keys in any gher manner than that herein described.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. Applying and arranging two or more actions one above another above the rear portion of the key board of a harmonium or other reed instrument in such a manner, substantially as herein described, that one or more of such actions may be removed at any time and any one be exposed for repair or other purposes.'

2. In combination with the so-arranged actions I claim the passages e, e, and upright passage f, arranged as herein described, to combine the said actions with the bellows.

3. Combining the several valves, or two or more of them, with the key by a system of push pins or other equivalent direct connection from one valve to another, substantially as herein described.

4. The sound board g, applied to constitute the back of the wind passage f, substantially as herein described.

E. P. NEEDI-IAM.

Witnesses WM. TUsoH, J. l/V. CooMBs. 

